BWC Standard of Excellence

Because the commuting experience varies geographically, the Best Workplaces for Commuters program offers a wide array of options to meet the particular commuting needs of individual employers.

To qualify, an employer must offer one (1) primary benefit, such as employer-paid tax-free transit or vanpool passes, teleworking, or parking cash-out (enabling workers to trade free parking for its cash equivalent).

Employers must also offer three (3) secondary benefits, choosing from options such as shuttles to and from transit stations (provided directly by the employer or contracted through a service), ridesharing or carpool matching, preferred or reduced-cost parking for carpools and vanpools, and compressed work schedules.

Best Workplaces for Commuters designated worksites must offer access to an Emergency Ride Home (ERH), which provides participants with a ride at little or no cost if they need emergency transport home due to special circumstances.

Once the Standard of Excellence has been met, members must agree to all of the following:

❑ We have a central point of contact in charge of commuter benefits.

❑ We keep information on commuter benefits in a centralized location.

❑ We actively promote our commuter benefits to employees.

❑ We agree to look for opportunities to use the Best Workplaces for Commuters name and logo to promote our designation (e.g., Web sites, press releases, job ads, newsletters, annual reports, etc.)

❑ We commit to ensuring that within 18 months of acceptance into the program at least 14 percent of our employees will not be driving alone to work by using other modes such as telework, compressed work week, transit, bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycle or walk.

❑If our application is approved, we will pay the annual membership fee of $230.